Transcript - slide 5

Tips for Negotiations

1. Focus on abilities.
2. Identify support needs.
3. Interview and tour businesses.
4. Watch and listen for opportunities.
5. Propose ideas.
6. Observe positions further if needed.
7. Discuss opportunities with the job seeker.
8. Develop an employment proposal.
9. Deliver the proposal to the business.
10. Assist the applicant to apply and interview.

Let’s take a look at an example of how one work opportunity was developed. Rachel Long is an employment specialist who works for a company that assists people with disabilities with gaining and maintaining employment. One of her customers is Jerome Sims. Jerome is a young man with moderate mental retardation. Prior to looking for work, Rachel spent time with and observed Jerome in different functional assessment activities to help him identify his vocational abilities, his interests and his potential support needs. Jerome has full physical abilities, enjoys working with his hands, and speaks using full verbal phrases. He is interested in different types of work. For example he stated interest in doing something at a retail store or in food service. His potential vocational support needs center around staying on task for an extended period of time, learning to perform multiple job duties, and being social.

One afternoon Rachel meets with Ms. Waters, a manager of a local seafood restaurant. After interviewing Ms. Waters about the business operations and providing an overview of the services she could offer, Rachel was granted a tour of the workplace. This gave her a first hand look at the overall operations and an opportunity to observe the various workers in action. While on tour, Rachel made several inquiries about the prep cook’s role and responsibilities. Ms. Waters informed her that the prep cook had thirty-six essential job duties, that ranged from preparing and cooking menu items using appropriate utensils, tools, products and equipment to stocking and maintaining proper inventory level and rotating foods. Additional observations and conversations with Ms. Waters revealed that she was considering hiring another prep cook to help keep up with the increase in the restaurant’s lunch business.

“Hearing opportunity knock,” Rachel asked Ms. Waters if she had ever thought about the possibility of restructuring the prep cook position in a way that would eliminate the need to hire another person in the existing position as defined by the company. Rachel explained that this could be accomplished by reassigning some of the prep cook’s job tasks to a new hire that could complete select job duties. With Jerome in mind, Rachel told Ms. Waters, that she knew a young man who may be interested in performing this type of work. She said if she could spend a little more time with the prep cook, she would come up with an employment proposal for her to review.

During additional observations, Rachel, noted that there were several duties that Jerome could learn, that would free up the prep cook to do more complex tasks. Rachel met with Jerome and his parents to discuss this idea. Together, they drafted an employment proposal that recommended that Jerome be hired as a Prep Cook Assistant. His proposed job would entail greasing and wrapping potatoes, preparing house salads, and portioning baked beans and coleslaw. He would work 4 hours a day five days a week and be paid $6.50 an hour, a wage comparable to other kitchen assistants.

Rachel hand delivered the employment proposal the next day. Ms. Waters reviewed the proposal and liked the idea of relieving some of the prep cook’s workload. She also realized this would be a cost savings measure since hiring and training a new prep cook would cost the company significantly more than creating an assistant’s position. After reviewing the proposal, Ms. Waters asked Rachel to have Jerome come in to complete an application and interview for the negotiated job. After interviewing with Ms. Waters and the prep cook, Jerome was offered the job. He immediately accepted, and soon began his new job as Prep Cook Assistant. This example illustrates how one job, prep cook, was negotiated or restructured into two positions: prep cook and a prep cook assistant.